What is Going on Inside?

Scripture: Daniel 3:19-27; 6:16-23

Introduction

• If you are looking for a church to attend, how do you know what is on the inside?
• You can’t really tell much about it by the building.
• If it’s a Baptist church built between 1920’s and the 1970’s, they all look alike.
• You can’t tell based on how new and well-maintained it is.
• Leslie and I went to visit a church in Dinwiddie where I was preaching as an interview.
• On the way we passed a church that was new and huge and beautiful – like Mt Vernon.
• The problem was that it was almost 11 and the parking lot was empty – maybe 10 cars.
• I had to ask and found out that it was a big church with an ambitious building campaign that then had a big split and was empty.
• So, you really can’t always tell what is going on inside, can you?
• In our Bible stories this morning we also see the outside, but not on the inside.
• I’d like to think that inside church people are not being burned in a furnace or thrown to the lions.
• But sadly, it happens sometimes, and I think that’s what most people are afraid of.
• What about a church with a full parking lot and a thousand people in attendance?
• Does that mean that it is a good church because it is popular? Not necessarily.
• Furthermore, what is going on inside the people?
• Let’s look at two things that are going on inside:

1. What are the people doing?
2. What is God doing?

1. What are the people doing?

• Both of our Bible stories today should have had tragic endings.
• In one case, we have Meshach, Shadrach, and Abendego going into a furnace.
• And not just any furnace, but one that is 7 times hotter than usual.
• They were fully dressed wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes
• They were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.
• The furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took them into the blazing furnace.
• Did they melt down to ash? NO!!  What did they do?  Walked around talking to a fourth.
• The king said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
• At least in this story, people could see inside the furnace and know what was going on.
• In our second story with Daniel and the lion’s den we have NO visibility inside.
• The king, Darius demanded by written royal decree that no one could pray to or worship any god other than Darius.
• What was the penalty if found guilty of worshipping someone other than Darius?
• From Daniel 6:7 the decree was:

Anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.

• This was a trap set by jealous coworkers meant to get rid of Daniel.
• When the king realized that Daniel had been caught in the trap in verse 14:

When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.

• But without violating a rigid and sacred legality, king Darius could do nothing.
• So, Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den with nothing to protect himself.
• There was no way to know what was going on inside the lion’s den from verse 17:

A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed.

• The next day, Daniel emerged unharmed to the great pleasure of the king.
• So, what was the deal? Were the lions just not hungry?  Were they sleeping?
• NO, we know that the lions were very hungry because in verse 24 we find out:

At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

• Yep, no problems with the lions – they were functioning properly.
• We really don’t know what Daniel did in the lion’s den – maybe he was petting the lions.
• Isn’t it so much the same with our church building here? What is going on inside?
• From the outside it looks like any other old church – particularly Baptist churches.
• What is on the inside though where we can’t see just driving by?
• What kind of people are behind those walls?
• What do they stand for? Will they judge me?  Am I worthy to even go inside?
• This is what goes on inside peoples’ heads.
• There is real and understandable fear based on so many other churches out there.
• Churches and organized religion are the worst thing that’s happened to Christianity.
• But does it have to be that way? I don’t believe so or I wouldn’t be here.
• I think it can change and it can be different if we just look at what God is doing.

2. What is God doing?

• Looking back at the story of the three guys and the furnace, what was God doing?
• God was in the furnace with them – at least someone representing Him was there.
• God was using this opportunity to convince people of His power and majesty.
• Here we have a king from the ancient world, Nebuchadnezzar, sentencing these three men to be cremated alive.
• And why? What was their crime?
• The king made a gold statue and demanded that every time the sound of horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, was heard, everyone must bow down and worship the statue.
• What did God do in the furnace?
• And with what God did in the furnace, what was the king’s reaction?
• In verse 28 Nebuchadnezzar said:

Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

• God used that event to convict the king in His flawed belief system and changed him.
• We need to step back sometimes as Christians and remember that this is what it takes to convert someone and make them a believer.
• It is a supernatural God thing that happened then, and it is a supernatural God thing now.
• Unfortunately, Christians and denominations get so full of themselves that they think they have the power.
• If not, why do they make laws and doctrine and rules and judgements that define what it takes to be a Christian? What it takes to be a member of their club?
• Only God with His unlimited power can do what it takes on the INSIDE to change lives.
• This is the truth of the Gospel, and the truth of what God is doing inside Biltmore.
• He is transforming lives supernaturally in His own time and we may not always see it.
• So I ask you: What is going on inside of you?” What is in your heart?
• Do you feel a need to do more? To be more connected?
• If so, we invite you to be a part of the amazing work God is doing on the inside.